Abstract

Background

Research suggests that the interaction between biological susceptibility and environmental
risk is complex and that further study of behavioral typologies related to obesity
and associated behaviors is important to further elucidate the nature of obesity risk
and how to approach it for intervention. The current investigation aims to identify
phenotypical lifestyle patterns that might begin to unify our understanding of obesity
and obesity related behaviors.

Methods

Individuals who had recently lost substantial weight of their own initiative completed
measures of intentional weight control behaviors and lifestyle behaviors associated
with eating. These behaviors were factor analyzed and the resulting factors were examined
in relation to BMI, recent weight loss, diet, and physical activity.

Results

Four meaningful lifestyle and weight control behavioral factors were identified— regularity
of meals, TV related viewing and eating, intentional strategies for weight control,
and eating away from home. Greater meal regularity was associated with greater recent
weight loss and greater fruit and vegetable intake. Greater TV related viewing and
eating was associated with greater BMI and greater fat and sugar intake. More eating
away from home was related to greater fat and sugar intake, lower fruit and vegetable
intake, and less physical activity. Greater use of weight control strategies was most
consistently related to better weight, diet, and physical activity outcomes.

Conclusions

Compared to the individual behavior variables, the identified lifestyle patterns appeared
to be more reliably related to diet, physical activity, and weight (both BMI and recent
weight loss). These findings add to the growing body of literature identifying behavioral
patterns related to obesity and the overall weight control strategy of eating less
and exercising more. In future research it will be important to replicate these behavioral
factors (over time and in other samples) and to examine how changes in these factors
relate to weight loss and weight maintenance over time.